St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-17
Illinois Democrats Would Like
to See the Postmaster
General Shelved.
President Cleveland Accepts
the Resignation Of Com
missioner Sparks.
The Two Sever Their Official
Relations With High Esteem
for Each Other.
Francis Wilson, the Come
dian, Receives Absolution
From the Executive.
Special 10 the Globe.

Special TO the Globe
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16.-President
Cleveland regards Villas as the ableSt,
t1uest, most popular Northern Demo
crat: the most fitting man for the vice
presidential nomination. But ever
since he made manifest his preference
for Villas, by taking him from Madison
to accompany him upon his tour, envy
and jealousy have combined to decry
and hurl their epithetS at the man. To-
day the air is redOlent of the fury of the
storm. The manner of their speech,
and it is poured into the ears of the
president, is as follows:
''WiSconsin is not doubtful state.
Villas cannot aid You in carrying the
Northwest. Illinois is doubtful state
since the death of Logan. You should
select an Illinois man for the second
place upon the ticket. There are
Palmer, Black, Morrison, Stevenson.
Springer and others: all men of ability
and national reputation. With any of
them we could add Illinois to the DEM
ocratic column. Villas cannot bring us
Wisconsin. and he certainly cannot
bring us Illinois. We should strongly
oppose him."
OF course this shaft is fired from the
ranks of the Illinois Democracy. 1t is
envenomed with Observation-Disclosures and
without regard to the eternal fitness of
things. 1t is dangerous enough when
considered that there is earneStneSS and
spite to feed the fire, but that is not all.
The Democrats of the Northwest are in
terested in Col. Villas, and they will
want to know the whole story of the
cowardly attack which is being made
upon him. These adverse politicians
go further and say:
in advancing Villas to the interior
department you overshadOw Black, of
Illinois. The veterans of the state
want him for the vice presidency. 1t is
evident that he could not be candidate
with Villas as his superior aspiring for
the place. The appointment of Villas
to the interior department is stroke at
Black and at Illinois. The removal of
Sparks at this time is another blow at
Illinois. Sparks is Democrat, tried
and true. He has made errors, but they
have been forced upon him by the bad
advice of Republicans who have been
held over by the civil service policy of
this administration. To strike him
down while Villas is advanced is a
stroke at Illinois and will remove the
possibility of bringing Illinois into the
Democratic column, while it will not
give us Wisconsin. Further, the ap-
pointment of some one else over the
head of Stevenson as postmaster gen
eral is another stroke at Illinois and re-
moves Stevenson from the ranks of vice
presidential candidates. This. too, is a
stroke at Illinois and will not assist us
in bringing Illinois into the Democratic
column and it will not give us Wis
consin."
The friends of Col. Villas might wisely
keep these facts from the public if it
We're possible to suppress them. But
the matter goes so far as to contain the
threat that Lamar shall not be con-
tirmed for the supreme court vacancy,
in order that there may be no vacancy
in the interior department to fill. There
are threats that even Villas should not
be confirmed as secretary of the in
terror, even if Lamar should be con-
firmed by his friends in the senate. The
claim is made and reiterated that Logan
carried not less than 10000 Republican
votes in Illinois to the grave with him,
he being that much stronger than his
party. Col. Morrison says this. Illinois
is stoutly claimed as Democratic state
now: and all these things are brought to
bear upon the president to induce him
to change his programme.